Nightcrawlers
by lildreamer7
Summary: Chapter 8 up! How long can any man fight the darkness before he finds it in himself? Sheppard and his team are about to find out. Sheyla with a bit of McWeir for good measure.
1. Prologue

**Title:** Nightcrawlers

**Author:** lildreamer

**Rating:** T for gore, scary images, and violence

**Pairings:** There will be. (2 C my fav. ships check out my other stories)

**Spoilers:** There will be several references to episodes from seasons 1-3 (up to Vengeance…First Strike hasn't happened yet).

**Summary:** How long can any man fight the darkness before he finds it in himself?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Stargate: Atlantis or any of its characters. If I did, Carson wouldn't be dead and Elizabeth wouldn't be leaving!

**A/N:** This story is set to finish by Halloween, so it will be updated almost regularly. So keep a look out for new chapters! Also, this is a bit AU because Beckett is still alive.

* * *

_"It was another dangerous mission. But then, you don't bring out Atlantis' flagship team for the easy ones…"_

The city was buzzing with activity, scientists and soldiers alike going about their daily routines. No one seemed to care that on earth tonight was Halloween night…except one person. A young Air Force colonel sat in the mess hall, surrounded by the innocent faces of some of the younger members of the expedition and a few Athosians as well. They were all listening to him with rapt attention as he began telling them one of his stories.

"_I'd planned to take the day off and spend time with a couple of buddies. My buddies travel light and they're fun to have around. One travels in a holster, and the other travels the galaxy…_

"_My name is Sheppard, by the way. John Sheppard. What people call me is something else entirely. I'm a Lt. Colonel of the United States Air Force. It says so on my uniform."_

"What is going on in here??" Rodney said, peeking in to see what his teammate was up to and to also grab a quick snack.

The team agreed that their leader was the best storyteller—at least when it came to these kinds of stories. They just weren't very interested in hearing them. After all, they'd lived through much worse. And he always had this habit of letting his imagination run away with him, his stories becoming his own personal fantasies.

"Rodney, can't you see I'm a little busy," the colonel replied through gritted teeth, clearly not appreciating the interruption.

"Yes, I can see that," Rodney said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He turned to leave. "Have fun."

"Whatever." Sheppard rolled his eyes at the now empty doorframe then turned back to his listeners. "Now, where was I? Oh yeah…

_"The last thing I'd wanted that morning was to go on another mission, but the lady who brought it was persuasive. Most ladies are somehow."_

"I heard that," Elizabeth's voice bellowed from somewhere in the hallway.

Col. Sheppard winced, his cheeks turning bright red. A wave of giggles swept through the room.

He cleared his throat and continued with the story. _"I stepped through the Stargate and reviewed the facts. There weren't many. The first team who'd gone through missed one of their check-ins and never came back. Their leader's body was found near the gate. Major Lorne. Something wasn't right about the way the poor fella died and I was sent there to figure out what it was and who did it. _

"_My mind was buzzing with questions. Why hadn't they checked in when they were supposed to? Why was Lorne left behind? And most importantly, what happened to the rest of his team?"_

Everyone was now listening intently. Although he had a habit of "spicing up" his stories, Sheppard had this way of making the stories come alive, like they'd actually happened at one time or another. Like they weren't just stories…

"_I had a hunch that, before this was over, I'd be sorry I asked."_


	2. The Forest

Col. Sheppard gazed up in wonder at the odd spectacle of both the sun _and_ moon, shining brightly above him, sharing the same clear blue sky. Though he'd seen much stranger things in his line of work, it was the small things like this that still managed to amaze him somehow.

Pulling himself from his thoughts, he shifted his gaze back down to his surroundings. His teammates were staring at him expectantly, one of them looking slightly annoyed. He smiled apologetically and squinted through the glare toward a distant line of trees.

Something moved.

He blinked, unsure of what he'd seen. He shook his head and told himself it was just his imagination; the breeze was moving the leaves.

He pushed the incident into the back of his mind and led his team away from the Gate. As they made their way toward where Beckett and his medical team were working, he prepared himself for what they were about to see. Dr. Weir had told them early on what had been found, but the details were a little sketchy.

He was turning to ask his teammates about it when the answer to all his questions assaulted them from the other side of the clearing. They all lurched at the sight and looked away, flooded with shock and revulsion.

Rodney shuddered, the color draining from his face. "Oh, I think I'm gonna be sick."

"Sorry," Dr. Beckett apologized, looking up from his examination of the body. "Shoulda warned yeh."

"Ya think?" Sheppard said as he and the rest of the team forced themselves to look again.

Major Lorne's body had been hurled against a tree and now lay wrapped around the trunk, crumpled and contorted like a broken doll. His earpiece lay in the grass, still connected to his ear, which unfortunately was no longer connected to his head. His P-90 lay in the grass as well, broken beyond repair. Except for a few remaining pieces of skin and dripping arteries, the head was all but separated from the body.

"Poor lad, his head's literally hangin' on by a thread," the doctor quipped as he continued checking over the corpse.

One of the Marines that had been standing nearby finally lost control of his insides and ran behind a tree, bent over, and lost his lunch and possibly breakfast too.

The colonel and his team could hardly bear it themselves, but they had a job to do.

"So, he's been lying here, like this, for three days?" Sheppard asked, looking down at the mangled remains of his friend.

Carson shook his head, "Not exactly. Won't know for sure 'til we get 'im back ta the city and conduct a proper autopsy, but I'd say Major Lorne's only been dead fer at least twelve hours."

The colonel arched an eyebrow. "So what's he been up to all this time?"

"I dunno…" With some help from his own team, Beckett carefully began to peel the body from the tree. "But I'm sure yeh'll figure it out, Colonel."

"Yes, I'm sure we will," Sheppard said, trying not to watch, now thoroughly grossed out. He quickly turned away to face his team. "All right, people, why don't we go see what the locals have to say."

* * *

As a tight band of four, they moved into the woods, following a path that wound deep into the forest. This forest was something else. Not the everyday kind with trees the size of telephone poles all close together and stickery bushes between them. No, this was something out of a Tolkien or Lewis fantasy, a wondrous, otherworldly place where the earth was soft and deep with moss and peat; where tiny white wildflowers twinkled in the green carpet, iridescent bugs with fairy wings flickered in the sunbeams, and every footstep was muffled in the pulverized red bark of a million trees that lived there before. Sheppard was sure he'd read about this place in one of the books he'd brought with him from earth. This was where hobbits and elves, fairies and princesses, knights and ogres had their adventures and intrigues, and where all nature of mischievous creatures lived among the snaking, claw-foot roots. This was where—

Ronon suddenly whirled around, his gun raised, his eyes scanning the trees. These woods were full of shadows and dark places to hide. The muzzle of his gun went anywhere his eyes went. A pine cone fell from one of the trees and he almost shot it.

Everyone froze. "What? Ronon?"

"Shh." He put up his hand for silence, cocked his head to hear, listened.

There it was again. A rustling of leaves. A shadow in the trees. Then it was gone.

He met the eyes of the others, but saw no awareness there. "Did you hear that?" Sheppard started to smirk as if Ronon was playing around. "I'm not kidding. There's something out there. We're being watched."

They all listened again. It was quiet here. A little too quiet. There were no birds or insects. No animal sounds of any kind. It was as if the forest was trying to lure them into a false sense of security.

A twig snapped to the right.

They spun around as one at the sound. There was laughter like that of a child then footsteps running through the trees. A shade of fear crossed their faces one by one. They heard it too.

Rodney looked at Sheppard, clearly unnerved.

Two more seconds, and then the colonel broke the silence with a commanding voice. "Okay, that's enough Halloween. The town's this way. Let's hurry it up."

He led, gripping his P-90 high, ready to sight down the barrel at so much as a squirrel if it dared to move. They followed, eyes wide open, weapons ready. They kept moving, pushing through brush, clambering over rocks and logs, eyes darting, the unsettling feeling that they were being watched growing stronger at every turn.

Soon they could see a small break in the forest canopy ahead of them. Light was penetrating to the forest floor. A few more steps through the undergrowth and they could see the town up ahead. They carefully chose some short leaps down the grade and broke into the clearing.

The small town of Liletha was surrounded by tall, dense forests, not nearly a perfect hiding place from enemy eyes. So, it was a bit odd that this place seemed to be untouched by the Wraith. Small buildings lined the streets. Many of them fairly old and falling apart at the seams. It was a wonder that there was still a good number of people living there. The place was buzzing with activity, the townsfolk all busy going about their daily chores while the children played games, seemingly unaware of what was going on in the forest. But it didn't take long for the team to realize that not all was as it appeared to be.

There was something strange going on in that town.

Something that none of them were prepared for.

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**So, whaddaya think? Intrigued? Want more? Review!**


	3. Strange People

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* * *

As soon as they set foot in Liletha, they were met by several pairs of eyes turning to stare at them. Townsfolk turned their heads as they passed, eyeing the group uncertainly. The colonel tried to greet a man heading in the opposite direction. The man only continued on his way as if they weren't there. They tried talking to other people, but they were all as unresponsive as the next. It was all starting to get frustrating and a bit creepy, too.

The eyes of practically every man, woman, and child followed them wherever they went. And it was starting to make them feel very uneasy. Their eyes were cold and full of distrust. Clearly, they were not welcome here.

"Geez, is there anybody _not_ staring at us?" Col. Sheppard muttered, feeling several pairs of eyes boring into the back of his head.

Teyla looked around at all the people watching them, her eyes resting on an older woman who stared back at her with an icy gaze. Her brow furrowed. She had a strange feeling about this place.

"Teyla? You okay?" Sheppard asked, noticing the look on her face.

"I—" She hesitated. It was almost as if she was sensing the presence of…something. But then as quickly as the feeling had come, it had gone. "It—It is nothing," she lied, not wanting to worry her friends. "I am fine."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded, smiling reassuringly.

They continued on their way through town and came across a group of kids playing a strange game.

They were seated on the ground around a pile of dried up bones. And it looked like they were in the middle of reassembling them. They'd made a puzzle out of it. The children saw the team coming and quickly stood up and moved out of the way, parting like the Red Sea. They stared just like everyone else as Sheppard and his team walked by.

The colonel couldn't help but look down at the pile of bones the kids had been playing with. He eyed a rather long one, a chilling thought coming into his mind. _Those bones…they almost look human…_

"Okay, creepy kids!" Rodney remarked, once they were out of earshot.

Sheppard wagged his head in good humor, forgetting his previous thought. "C'mon, Dorothy."

"Well, one thing's for sure," Ronon said, as they rounded a corner. "There are a lot of strange people in this town."

The others nodded in agreement as they headed toward the center of town.

There were several people there, huddled in groups, talking amongst each other. Apparently, it was a gathering place of sorts. A single tree stood tall and proud in the center of the square, though it looked like it had dried up a long time ago. Its branches were bare, the bark peeling from its trunk.

"Well, that's a shame…" Sheppard said, eyeing the tree.

"It's also a bit odd."

The colonel cast the scientist a sideways glance. "Why do you say that?"

"It's white," Rodney answered, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Last I checked, trees are suppose to be green. No matter what galaxy you're in."

It was at that moment that the townspeople spotted Col. Sheppard and his team. All heads turned toward them as they walked into the square. Everyone had instantly become silent, staring at them intensely. This was their chance. Maybe now they'd get some answers. The colonel felt someone push him forward. He glared back at his teammates before clearing his throat to speak.

"Uh…hi," the colonel said, addressing the crowd of people staring at him. "We were wondering if any of you have seen a few friends of ours."

Teyla stepped forward to help. "They came to your world three days ago. They would have been dressed as we are."

The crowd only continued to stare at them strangely, no one venturing a reply. Then little by little they began to disperse, quietly shuffling off to resume whatever it was they had been doing.

"Nothing," Ronon grunted, thoroughly annoyed.

"Friendly, aren't they?" The colonel was about to throw out another snide remark when they noticed that not everyone had gone. Someone was watching them from the other side of the dead tree, their face hidden beneath a lavender cloak. "Excuse me, can you help us?"

Whoever it was, cast one last look at the group, before turning to leave. The four teammates shared a look. Things were not going quite as they had planned. They still hadn't found Lorne's men and had zero luck trying to get help from the townspeople. They had to fight now to resist the urge to take someone hostage and force the information out of them. Elizabeth would kill them if they did.

Seeing that no one from the town was going to help them, they had no choice but to continue the search on their own. They decided to split up and were about to go their separate ways when—

"_You should not be here!_"

* * *

**Ooo…cliffhanger. What happens next? Wanna see more or I should I quit while I'm ahead?**


	4. De'lila

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* * *

Teased by a slight breeze, her flowing lavender cloak billowed behind her, her hood falling to her shoulders. The three men were immediately captivated by her beauty. She was a young and pretty woman, with long raven hair and piercing green eyes. She glared at them, intensifying her warning.

"These people may seem harmless, but danger is no stranger here."

"Danger?" The woman's words made Rodney nervous. "What sort of danger?"

She glanced around, as if to check if anyone was watching, and slid her hood back on. "Not here," she whispered, mysteriously. "Follow me."

The colonel carefully eyed the woman who had already walked ahead. She seemed pleasant enough and didn't really appear to be a threat. She sounded perfectly sincere, but it could also be a very sly trap. He thought for a moment and, though he had his reservations, he followed her. His teammates were right behind him.

The woman led them to a small building on the far side of town. It was her home, apparently. She quickly ushered them inside and invited them to sit at the table in the middle of the room. As they took seats, she disappeared into an adjacent room. A moment later, she returned with five cups and a large pitcher filled with what looked like water.

"You have journeyed far. You must be thirsty," she said, pouring water into each cup and handing one to each of them, keeping one for herself. "Drink…and I will explain everything."

"You're not from around here, are you?" Sheppard said, eyeing the water suspiciously.

The woman hesitated. "How did you know?"

"Your accent." He sniffed the water and took a tentative sip. It seemed normal enough. "Plus, you're not like them. You're different."

The woman blinked, relaxing only a hair. "That is very observant of you." She nodded, taking a seat at the head of the table. "And you are correct. This is not my home world. I am called De'lila and I am from a planet not far from here. I and a few others fled through the Ancestor's ring many years ago when our world was culled by the Wraith. Liletha has been my home ever since."

"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Delilah," the colonel said, offering a smile. "I'm John Sheppard…" He gestured to the rest of his team. "And this is Rodney McKay, Teyla Emmagen, and Ronon Dex."

They each gave a brief smile or wave as they were introduced.

"So, do you know what happened to our men?"

She inclined her head, thoughtfully. "Yes, I have seen your friends."

Everyone straightened in their seats, now fully listening to what she had to say.

"They're alive?"

"Yes."

"Why did you not tell us this before?" Teyla asked, taking a quick sip of water.

"They were watching us."

"Who's _they_?" Sheppard said, yawning despite himself. He was starting to feel very tired.

"The others." At the blank look on her guests' faces, she explained further. "The people here…they are different."

"No kidding!" Rodney said, dryly.

Sheppard shot him a glare and he immediately shut his mouth, taking a big gulp of water.

De'lila continued, undeterred by the scientist's comment. "A force holds this town. A force that is unholy." She glanced toward the window, regarding the world outside. "If there is god, he is not here."

"Then why don't you just leave?" Ronon suggested, draining the last drops of water from his cup.

De'lila frowned. "Why would I want to do that?"

"John?" Teyla was looking over at the colonel, her brow knitted with concern. He had his head in his hands. "Are you all right?"

He looked up at her. He looked disoriented, his eyes rolling around, unable to focus. "I…feel weird…"

His eyes fluttered and he slumped over the table.

His friends immediately jumped from their seats and went to his side. He was still alive, just unconscious. And it seemed that he was not the only one affected.

Ronon leaned heavily against the table. The floor was reeling. "What's in this water?" He rubbed his eyes and shook his head, the images of his friends swimming in front of him. Then he promptly collapsed.

Rodney turned an uneven gaze toward De'lila, who was watching them intently, and noticed that her own cup of water was untouched. "She's not drinking any…" he mumbled in his haze, before collapsing as well.

Teyla looked up and saw De'lila's face. It looked so strange, so dead and white…

She put a hand out to steady herself, but the chair crashed to the floor.

Then her world went black.

* * *

**Ooo…what's De'lila up to? Whaddaya think? Review to find out!**


	5. Haunted House

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* * *

"How long has it been?

Elizabeth paced the control room, anxiously. Sheppard's team had missed their last check-in and still hadn't returned. And she was afraid that whatever had happened to Lorne's team was happening to them.

The technician looked up from his console. "They're two hours overdue ma'am."

Something was wrong.

She looked toward the Stargate. "Dial the gate," she ordered. "And open a channel."

The technician obeyed. The gate sprung to life and he gave a nod, signaling that all communications were open.

Elizabeth tapped her earpiece. "Col. Sheppard, this is Weir…please, respond."

Nothing.

"Colonel, are you there?"

* * *

Sheppard began to wake up, but very slowly. He'd already lost a lot of sleep dealing with the Wraith and the Asurans, and now he was paying for it. His body felt like lead, and he could hardly open his eyes.

He became aware that someone was calling his name. The voice sounded disembodied and distant. But he didn't have the strength to answer. After a few moments, everything went silent. Then he became aware of something else: there were others around him, beginning to wake up as well. Someone groaned beside him. Then two others echoed somewhere in front of him.

His shoulder brushed up against what felt like a metal bar.

What happened?

He opened his eyes. A dim amber light seeped in through the window. It made him squint. The sun was rising or setting. How long had they been there?

He raised his head and looked around. They were in a small, tight space. Some kind of holding cell. Teyla was sitting next to him, shaking her head from side to side, willing herself to wake up fully. Ronon was sitting across from him, rubbing his head, clearly upset. Rodney was sitting against the wall to his right. He had his head in his hands and was mumbling through his fingers.

He sat up, pausing a moment to let some dizziness pass. He couldn't remember how they had gotten here. On the other hand, he did remember a beautiful young woman with long, dark hair who now appeared to be missing.

"Everyone okay?"

He got two grunts in reply.

"What is this place?" Teyla asked, studying their surroundings.

The colonel shrugged. "I don't know..."

With some effort, he rose to his feet. He immediately checked himself over, patting his pockets. Everything was still there: his side-arm in his leg holster, his P-90 clipped to his vest, and the radio in his pocket, the earpiece still in his ear. As far as he could tell, his body and everything on it had not been disturbed, simply moved.

Ronon came up next to him and went for the bars, pulling at them to no avail. He pounded his fist into it in frustration, making the entire jail cell tremble.

"What do we do, now?" Rodney asked, coming over to join the group.

Sheppard glanced around at their prison, resentfully. "We have to get out of here."

As soon as he said that, there was a soft _click_ and the door of the cell swung open on creaky hinges. Everyone stared in surprise.

Rodney arched an eyebrow. "Okay…now what?"

* * *

Elizabeth watched the gate shut down, her brow furrowed. There had been no response to her hails. Something was definitely wrong. Sheppard's team was in trouble.

She gave the technician a look. "Assemble a rescue team."

The technician nodded and tapped his earpiece to relay the message.

"We're gonna find out once and for all what's going on out there," Elizabeth said, a determined look on her face.

They'd already lost one team on that planet. She wasn't about to lose another.

Especially this one.

"I just hope it's not too late…"

* * *

Sheppard stepped to the front of the group, put his hand on the knob and slowly and cautiously opened the door. He went out first, making sure it was safe. His eyes widened.

They were definitely not at De'lila's home anymore. Their prison was in the backroom of a much larger building.

The colonel flicked the light on atop the muzzle of his gun. Teyla and Rodney did the same. The small beams of light danced over their surroundings.

The air was stale and musty. There was a thick layer of dust on everything around them and they had to push through cobwebs to get through some hallways. The floorboards creaked as they stepped underneath an archway and wandered into another area of the building.

The room that they found themselves in appeared to be the dining room.

The table was still set for a nice, quiet evening dinner, but it appeared whoever had been there had taken a little too long to eat. The plates were filled with rotting food. Sheppard wrinkled his nose as he caught a whiff of the disgusting smell of decomposing food products.

As they passed the table, Ronon glanced down at the rotten meat on one of the plates.

It was moving.

He took a closer look and Teyla averted her gaze, a sick look on her face.

Tiny white worms were squirming, writhing, tunneling through what used to be a piece of meat.

"Euugh," Rodney cringed, staring down at a bowl of vegetables that were sagging, swimming in putrid juice.

Ronon looked up at him, a hint of a smile on his lips. "Looks like someone left in hurry."

"No, really. Ya think?"

The colonel smirked, trying hard not to laugh, as they moved on.

They went quietly, in single file, through the rest of the building in search of an exit. It was obvious that it hadn't been occupied in a long time. The place looked like it had been vacant for hundreds of years. Dust covered the paintings and walls. Most of the furniture was also covered in dust, the cushions shredded, chewed by rodents.

"Whoa," was all the colonel could say as they stepped into what appeared to be the main hall.

The room that they were standing in now was open to a high ceiling, and a fancy chandelier hovered over their heads. The hardwood floor led to two large double doors. The next room across from them presented a large fireplace with a carved mantel. The place was breathtaking—or at least it would have been if everything wasn't coated in a layer of dust and cobwebs.

"There's the way out," the colonel said, leading them toward the large entry doors. "Let's—"

Something bumped and creaked above their heads.

They froze, eyes turned upward, listening.

A thump, another creak. Footsteps.

Everyone's heads snapped up at the ceiling. "What was that?"

"Someone's on the roof," Ronon said, pointing his gun skyward.

The four teammates exchanged glances.

"Okay. Look," Rodney said, glancing around nervously. "I've been pretending to be, like, really brave, but—"

"C'mon, let's get out of here." Sheppard put his hand on one of the doors. To his surprise, it was unlocked. He looked back. "Okay, I'll have a look outside. We go if I say it's clear." He took a deep breath. "Ready?"

He cracked the door open without waiting for their response. A thin shaft of light brightened the gap. He pushed it wider and froze where he stood, hardly breathing, nothing moving but his eyes as he scanned left and right, taking in scenery he wasn't ready to believe.

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	6. Escape

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* * *

**

"How is this possible?" Teyla said.

No one answered as they took it all in, stunned.

The town that had once been full of life now looked as if it had been deserted for thousands of years. There were plenty of signs that there had once been life here, but it seemed that was a very long time ago. The place was a ghost town.

"This can't be real," Col. Sheppard said, staring at the abandoned town.

The town was dead. All of it.

Dead, very dead. But a death that was clearly alive.

Rodney pulled out his scanner and studied the small screen. "I'm picking up inconsistent life-signs…but they could be sensor ghosts."

The door suddenly slammed shut on its own. They all jumped back in surprise, guns raised. The colonel tried the door. It wouldn't budge.

"It's locked."

Ronon took a turn at it. The door was cold, cruel, immovable. It didn't even rattle when he tugged at it.

"I warned you…" a familiar feminine voice said from behind, startling them.

They whirled around as one, weapons trained on the same target. Standing in the middle of the room was a familiar dark-haired woman clad in purple. Her face was hidden beneath her cloak.

"Delilah?"

"Your kind are not welcome here!"

The colonel eyed the woman suspiciously. There was something off about her, he just couldn't figure out what it was. But he was smart enough to know when he was in for trouble. So, while they had been talking, he discreetly signaled Ronon and Teyla to be ready.

"What do you mean _our_ kind?" Teyla asked.

Col. Sheppard stepped forward. "Yeah, what the hell is going on?"

De'lila cocked her head down and closed her eyes, her mouth twisted into a thin smile.

In the blink of an eye, she was suddenly standing right in front of him. "You know nothing of hell…"

Then the woman's eyes snapped open, and the colonel stared into black, pupil-less eyes that sent a chill up his spine.

"What—what are you?" Rodney gasped, terrified.

De'lila growled, lunging at Col. Sheppard. He felt the woman's strong, clawed fingers wrap around his neck and the next thing he knew he was pinned to the wall. He grabbed at his captor's arm, trying to free himself, but it was no use—the woman was impossibly strong.

De'lila grinned at him and the colonel watched in horror as a set of sharp teeth and fangs grew in place of the woman's teeth.

"Oh my—"

De'lila suddenly shrieked in pain, feeling the bullets tear through her skin. She whipped around, hissing angrily at the others. "_That was a mistake!_"

She flung the colonel across the room like a rag doll. He hit the wall then the floor, landing in a crumpled heap.

"No!" Rodney screamed in alarm.

Teyla's eyes widened. "John!"

"You just made yourself a very powerful enemy," Ronon growled, his eyes burning with anger.

De'lila walked toward them, undeterred by the all the guns pointed at her. The bullets seemed to have barely any effect. Only succeeding in slowing her. And even on its most deadly setting, the energy blasts from Ronon's gun had no effect at all.

Ronon shoved his gun back into its holster and pulled a knife from his sleeve. De'lila caught him.

"Hey!" She lunged toward him, knocking him to the ground. "Don't you know you can get hurt with sharp objects?" She wrestled the blade from his hand. "Bad Ronon!"

The Satedan's eyes narrowed and he pulled another knife from his back, thrusting it deep into her gut. She grunted in pain, glaring at him with malice. Then she reached down and pulled the knife out with ease, the wound healing almost instantly.

She threw the knife aside. "_Ow!_"

Teyla and Rodney looked at their friend. Their weapons were useless. Ronon turned to look back at them and said a word he must have picked up from the humans of earth.

* * *

Col. Sheppard groaned, picking himself up. He winced, his hand moving to his skull. His head was pounding. He glanced toward his teammates and his eyes widened.

He stared in horror as they emerged from the shadows, bearing down on his team from behind. Their missing people. Lorne's team. They were alive like De'lila had said. Only they weren't people anymore. They were just like her.

His mind was paralyzed, but only for a moment. Without a conscious thought, he positioned his P-90 and fired warning shots toward the group. All their heads turned toward where the shots had come from. And De'lila was moving already, like a shadow on speed.

The front doors suddenly flew open, letting in a strong wind.

"RUN!!!"

The colonel and his team made a mad dash for the exit, shooting wildly behind them as they did, and spilled out onto the street.

"Running will do you no good, colonel!" De'lila cackled.

They heard shrieks from numerous directions throughout the town.

"Head for the gate!" Sheppard commanded, as they sped through the streets.

The creatures followed in hot pursuit, joined by others who were slipping out of every dark corner there was. All the townspeople had turned into these things.

* * *

As they plunged into the woods, the sky grew dark. Huge, ominous storm clouds rolled in, blocking out the sun and the moon. The wind howled through the trees. Lightning streaked across the sky. Thunder rumbled in the distance. A brilliant display of Mother Nature's power. They expected the rain to come pouring down at any moment, but none came. It was as if she were waiting for the right moment to release her fury.

They ran, ducking and veering around trees, thrashing through thick brush, shooting blindly at their pursuers.

"Go, go, go!" the colonel yelled, letting the rest of the team run ahead of him. He kept pace behind them, watching their backs. He ran, ducked, swerved, jumped, ran some more, jamming more magazines into his gun as he went.

Then there was a scream, like a banshee. The ghostlike cry of anguish chilled his blood. She screamed as if she'd been cut open, the echoes of her voice layering one upon the other as the rocks sent the sound back and forth, back and forth, back and forth across the forest. Rodney froze in terror, his back against a tree, his eyes darting, his hand nearly dropping his gun.

From _out there_, a legion of demons answered the woman from their haunts and hiding places, their screams long and mournful like ghostly sirens following one upon the other, rising, fading, notes clashing, echoing, echoing, echoing…

Everyone went speechless. Rodney was petrified, wishing he could meld into the tree at his back.

Col. Sheppard forbade himself to be afraid, but his hands were getting icy. He checked his bearings. "We're almost there! Keep moving!" He dried his hands on his jacket, and plunged onward.

They immediately spotted the giant silver ring a few feet ahead.

"Rodney, dial the gate!"

The scientist ran ahead into the clearing, swept it visually, and dashed toward the DHD. The others lingered behind to cover him.

The colonel rolled over a log, sank into the cover of some willows, and lay still, listening.

Bodies brushed against the trees.

Ronon ducked, rolled, plowed into some bushes, found a tree to protect him.

Rondey was reaching over to press the large button in the middle of the console to activate the gate when something snarled angrily behind him. He froze, his hand poised over the button.

"Uh…guys?"

The creature suddenly began screaming in agony. He jumped in surprise then dove beneath the console for cover. Someone was shooting at it. The creature fell at his feet, bleeding from dozens of bullet wounds. He looked up to find Teyla standing where the creature had been, gun smoking.

"You must hurry!" she said urgently. "He will not stay down for long."

He quickly stood and pressed both hands into the large button. "Hurrying…"

The gate sprung to life and Sheppard immediately popped out of his hiding place and ran toward them, Ronon not far behind.

Teyla's eyes widened.

She gasped, her eyes looking in horror over the colonel's shoulder.

He spun around, then froze. Rodney yelped from somewhere behind him. Time stopped. His thoughts, his breath, maybe even his heart, stopped. They were surrounded.

The creatures had broken into the clearing, shrieking, hissing, eyes crazed. Several of them blocked the gate.

Sheppard held his gun in a death grip.

For several seconds, with tendons tightened to their limit, sweat dripping down their faces, and every breath controlled, they rotated slowly about a common center, back to back, eyes, ears, and guns on the creatures that encircled them, looking for a way out…over, under, _anywhere_.

One of them stepped forward, bared its teeth, reached out—

* * *

"Dial the gate," Elizabeth ordered, eyeing the rescue team standing ready in the gate room.

The chevrons lit up one by one until the sequence was complete then the wormhole _swooshed_ to life and settled into the familiar glowing puddle.

The tech suddenly touched his earpiece. "Receiving audio."

"Put it through."

"Elizabeth, is that you?" a familiar voice asked.

"Rodney? What's going on?"

"Man down, man down!" Rodney's voice squawked on the radio. "We got trouble! There are people out here—no, not people—one of them attacked Teyla! We need backup!" And then as if an afterthought, "Now!"

Elizabeth's face turned white. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure! They're right here!" There was a bloodcurdling scream in the background. "Oh no, no, no! We need a medical team!" The scientist sounded like he was nearly in tears.

"Where are you?"

"We're near the gate…Oh my…Crap, crap, crap! They're everywhere! They—" Sounds of gunfire popped on the radio speaker. Rodney swore. Judging by the sounds immediately following, he'd scrambled for safety.

Elizabeth signaled the tech to lower the shield. She looked down at her rescue team. "GO!"

After a few minutes, the gate came back to life and the speakers filled with Rodney's panicked voice once again.

"They're coming right at us—" _Pop, pop, pop._

"A rescue team is on its way," Elizabeth said, her voice now knotted with fear.

No response this time. Something had gone wrong.

"I repeat…backup is on its way, Rodney. What's going on?"

No response.

"Rodney?"

Static.

She was about to call to him again, but never got the chance, because Col. Sheppard, carrying an unconscious Teyla in his arms, suddenly stumbled through the gate looking completely disheveled and in terrible shock. Rodney was not far behind, followed by a limping Ronon.

"Shut it down!" Rodney gasped, breathing heavily.

"Where's the rescue team??"

The scientist shook his head sadly.

Elizabeth's professional demeanor faltered for a moment, but she recovered quickly. "Do it!" she ordered, giving the tech a look.

The tech obeyed and the wormhole immediately disengaged.

It was then that Elizabeth finally got a good look at Col. Sheppard and his team. They were all pretty banged up, hair disheveled, clothes torn, covered in dirt and blood from head to toe.

Carson finally appeared in the room followed by his medical team. They tried to take Teyla from the colonel's arms to relieve him of her weight, but he clung on to her tightly.

"It's alrigh'…" the doctor said, gently. "Yeh can let go o' her now, lad. We'll take good care o' her."

Sheppard stared at him, in a mixture of confusion and disbelief. His mouth opened and closed, but no words came out.

"Colonel, yeh have ta let her go."

After a moment of thought, he finally consented and carefully laid her on an awaiting gurney. He winced as a sharp pain shot through his shoulder. Nearby, Ronon was stubbornly refusing to get on a gurney, insisting that he could walk fine. Carson seriously doubted that, eyeing the man's right leg. It was bleeding and very swollen. Probably dislocated or broken.

"John! Rodney!" Elizabeth cried coming down to meet them, worry written all over her face. "Rodney, what hap—"

She froze, rooted in place.

Rodney had fallen to his knees, retching, coughing uncontrollably. Blood spattered all over the floor. He looked up at her weakly, gasping for breath, his face ghostly pale. Blood trickled from his mouth. He stared straight ahead for a moment, as if trying to think of the right word, then Elizabeth watched in horror as his eyes rolled back in his head and his whole body went limp. He toppled over onto the ground without a twitch or a movement.

"Oh my—" Carson ran to his friend's side and pressed his fingertips to his throat below the jawline. He felt a faint, fluttering pulse. "He's alive, but barely," he said, his voice breathy and shaking.

"We need ta get them ta the infirmary!" Carson screamed at his medical team. "Now!"

* * *

**Pretty freaky, huh? Almost gave myself nightmares! Want more?**


	7. Healing

**All right, ya'll! Here's a couple more chappies for your reading pleasure. This first one's a little something to lighten the mood. But not much. Thanx to these people 4 their reviews…!**

janib

corkieshome

skipgunner

samarie

**Now, read on…**

* * *

"Just tell me this," John raged as he walked down a corridor with a limping Ronon at his side. "When do we get a vacation?"

It had been three days since they had returned from Liletha all banged up and only one day since Carson had released the two from the infirmary. They were both headed back for a check-up and to visit the other half of the team that was still stuck there.

The colonel scratched his arm absently as he spoke, still adjusting to the sling it was resting in. He'd dislocated his shoulder. The infirmary's other occupants had to cover their ears when the doctor had popped it back in place.

"I mean, Ben-Hur rowing that Roman galley while the guy whipped him and the other guy banged on that big drum got more downtime than we do."

The big Satedan adjusted his gate, leaning heavily on a crutch to avoid putting weight on his broken leg, and gave his friend a strange look. He had absolutely no clue what the colonel was talking about.

They finally reached the infirmary. Teyla was sitting up, cross-legged, on her bed, her eyes firmly shut. She was sporting a head bandage along with a modified hair arrangement. She'd gotten a concussion and had only woken up the day before. She opened one eye, peering at the doorway as her teammates entered, and smiled.

Rodney was sitting up in his own bed, busily typing away on a laptop, completely ignorant of what was going on around him. That is, until those two walked in. He'd only woken up that morning. He was still hooked up to an IV, but seemed to be doing quite well, despite all the internal injuries he'd suffered. Someone had used him as a punching bag. He gave the guys an annoyed look, watching them walk into the room.

"Our lives have become video games," the colonel went on, enjoying the sound of his own outrage. "We're always walking down some dark corridor with our guns drawn and there's an endless array of enemy guys. We blow 'em up, but they keep coming. When do we get to hit the pause button? When do we get to switch over to a nice, peaceful Second Life? When do we get to turn off the power and put down the joystick and just kick back and relax with some HBO? When do—"

"When do we get to shut you up?" Rodney interrupted. "When do we get to switch _you_ off? I mean, good grief, you act like you have something better to do."

"Well, maybe I do," the colonel retorted, taking a seat in the bed he'd previously occupied.

"Really?" The scientist crossed his arms, challenging him. "Like what?"

When Sheppard didn't answer, Rodney laid back in his bed, looking very pleased with himself.

The colonel narrowed his eyes at him. "You know, I wonder what it would be like to jettison your body into deep space?"

"All righ' yeh two, enough o' that," Carson said, walking into the room, pulling on a pair of gloves.

"He started it!" John and Rodney said at the same time, pointing a finger at each other.

Carson wagged his head in good humor. He didn't know how Ronon and Teyla put up with their constant arguing. Sometimes it felt like he was dealing with a couple of five year olds. But he knew, that when it really mattered, those two could set aside their differences just like that and become an unstoppable duo.

"Okay, doc, let's get this over with," Sheppard said, sitting so his legs were dangling off the side of the bed. "I have important stuff going on. I lead a busy, busy life."

"Really?" Elizabeth walked into the room, grinning.

"Allo, Elizabeth," Beckett greeted without looking over. He gently removed the sling from the colonel's arm and set it aside.

"Hello, Carson." She looked around the room at his current patients. "How's everyone doing?"

"Ah, they're all healin' up quite nicely," the doctor answered, examining the colonel's shoulder. "In fact—"

His sentence was cut off by the sudden intake of breath from someone in the room.

"Teyla?" Sheppard was staring over at her, his brow knitted with concern.

Her eyes were shut tight and she was shaking her head forcefully, a terrified expression on her face. It looked like what was supposed to be a nice, calming meditation had turned into a nightmare.

A pair of dark eyes filled with malice suddenly flashed in her mind. She yelped, grabbing her head.

Carson rushed to her side. "Teyla? What's wrong, lass?"

She didn't answer. Then without warning, she began clawing at the bandage around her head, trying desperately to rip it off.

"Hey! Whoa!" Sheppard jumped off his bed in alarm. He grabbed her hands trying to stop her. "Teyla, what are you doing? Snap out of it!"

As if on cue, Teyla's eyes suddenly snapped open. She gazed around wildly, gasping for breath. It took her a moment to realize that someone was calling her name. She looked up and found the colonel staring down at her, his eyes filled with concern.

"You okay?" he asked her, gently. "What happened?"

She gave him a confused look. "I—" Something didn't feel right. She reached up to touch her head. Her eyes widened when she caught sight of her hands. There were pieces of gauze bandage all over her fingers.

She stared at her hands, puzzled. "I do not know…"

"John, your arm!" Elizabeth pointed out, noticing the way he was holding it.

He followed her gaze. In his attempt to stop Teyla from removing her bandage, he had inadvertently used the arm with the injured shoulder. But there had been no pain. He held it as if there was nothing wrong with it.

He and Teyla shared a look.

* * *

Beckett immediately took several x-rays and conducted a few quick tests. What he found was nothing short of amazing. He stood in front of a row of large, flat-screen monitors, reading a dozen x-rays, his eyes wide.

"Carson?" Elizabeth was wondering what was going on. As was everyone else.

No response. The man was clearly focused.

"What do you see?"

Carson shook his head in disbelief. "Nothing."

"Nothing?"

Now the doctor looked at her. "Nothing." He tapped one of the images in front of him. "The colonel's shoulder has mended itself." He tapped another image. "And so's Ronon's leg."

Everyone stared at him in surprise.

"Teyla's and Rodney's injuries have completely healed as well."

Elizabeth's brow furrowed. "That's impossible."

"Aye, I don't understand it meself. But there it is." Carson put his hands on his hips and stared at the images he'd just pointed out. "I've never seen anything like this."

"Do any of you feel like telling me what happened out there?"


	8. The Sickness

"I'm fine," Sheppard insisted, fidgeting on the hospital bed.

Just when the colonel thought he would kill the doctor for making too sure that he was okay, the man relented, releasing him with a clean bill of health.

Elizabeth looked to the doctor, incredulous. "Are you sure?"

Carson nodded. "Although we still have yet to determine how they healed so fast, they all seem ta be doin' well and are in perfect health. I see no reason ta keep them here."

Elizabeth arched an eyebrow. Something didn't feel right about this.

John rolled his eyes at her. "Elizabeth, relax. We're fine."

Rodney nodded in agreement. "Yeah, never been better."

After a moment of thought, she decided not to press the matter any further and changed the subject. "So, these people that attacked you…they were what exactly?"

"I told you, they weren't people," Rodney said, adamantly. "They were more like—like—"

"Vampires."

He scowled at the colonel. "Don't be ridiculous. Vampires aren't real. They're just a myth."

"Then how do you explain the Wraith?" Ronon posed.

"Well…Yes, I admit there are some similarities. But I wouldn't call them vampires. Vampires prefer human blood not their life force."

"But is that not what blood is?" Teyla said, matter-of-factly. "Without blood you would not live."

They argued for a while, and, not for the first time, Elizabeth realized how strange her life had become. She was standing in the infirmary of a city-sized alien spaceship on an alien planet in another galaxy, listening to a debate between an Air Force colonel, a genius scientist, and two aliens over the existence of vampires.

Good grief.

Once the mini debriefing was over, everyone went their own separate ways.

* * *

At first Elizabeth would not let Sheppard and his team back on active duty, but they had teamed up on her, insisting that they were well enough to work and that keeping the city running would require everyone on board. Finally, though she had her reservations, Elizabeth gave in and came up with a compromise. She would put them back on active duty, but they would not be allowed off-world until Beckett was done with his tests.

Rodney immediately made a beeline for his lab, choosing to spend the next few hours with his science team reviewing all the data they'd collected so far on various what-not. But their normal work-related conversation switched gears when someone brought up the incident on Liletha.

"Fascinating," Radek commented as he and a few other scientists listened to Rodney recount what had happened to him—or at least what he could remember. "Just like a horror movie, eh. Nobody there, then the creatures come, then…OOOOOO." He wiggled his fingers in front of his face. "Your team systematically gets picked off one…by…one."

"Radek!" Rodney shot him a stern look.

"Sorry," Radek apologized, returning his attention to the console he was working on. "I was just kidding."

McKay passed him a tablet. "Here, go to the control room and check this out."

Radek took the tablet from him then bowed his head melodramatically. "I live to serve."

Rodney rolled his eyes at him, exasperated. "Go. Now."

The Czech scientist cast his superior a resentful look as he made his way out of the room, muttering under his breath in his native language.

* * *

"So, what'd you find, Doc?" Sheppard asked as he and Elizabeth walked into the operating room that Beckett was using for his autopsy.

He'd called them earlier, requesting their presence. There was something he wanted them to see.

The doctor turned from a worktable and smiled at his fellow leaders. "Allo, Elizabeth. How yeh feelin,' Colonel?"

John grinned. "Peachy."

His friends gave him a strange look. Then Elizabeth turned to Carson and prompted him to begin his show-and-tell.

"Okay…Well, Major Lorne here certainly has an interesting story ta tell," the doctor began, moving closer to the worktable.

"Really…?"

"Mmhmm." Carson lowered the sheet covering their comrade, revealing the remains. "Punctures and lacerations all along the front o' the body. Bits o' dirt and bark embedded in the skin." He took hold of the left arm and lifted it gently. It bent as if it were made of rubber. "Fracture o' the humerus. And that's not all."

They watched as Carson pressed down on the rib cage with both hands. It sank easily beneath the pressure. "Rib cage is flailed." He pressed on the hips and both his guests made a painful face. "The pelvis is crushed."

"Ouch."

"And whatever did this doesn't mind wringin' necks either." The doctor moved to the head of the worktable. "I've seen some broken necks in me day, but nothin' like this." He gently cradled Lorne's head in his hands. He tilted the head this way and that allowing them to observe the neck. He pulled a little, and the neck stretched. He rotated the head to one side and the neck didn't resist; it just went _squish_.

"I see what you mean."

"It's a separation o' the first and second cervical vertebrae. The bruises 'round the neck are due ta the arteries bein' severed," Dr. Beckett explained. "The spinal cord is severed as well."

He held the head in an awkward, twisted position while he spoke. Elizabeth backed away, so troubled she couldn't hide it. Carson got the message and returned Major Lorne's head to as near a natural position as the damage would allow.

"Just so yeh know, this was the cause o' death," the doctor informed them. "The bruises on the head and neck aren't from teeth or claws, but fingers. Somebody or somethin' wrung this poor lad's neck, just wrenched it, then left him ta die."

Sheppard's gaze went back down to the chest. He leaned in for a closer view of some puncture wounds. "Is this what I think it is?"

Carson nodded. "That's what I wanted to show yeh. Judgin' from the arrangement and spacin,' I'd say this poor lad was fed upon before he died."

Elizabeth's brow furrowed. "Wraith?"

"Who else would it be?" the colonel said, the hatred obvious in his voice.

"Aye. But there's the rub. As yeh can see, the major's body shows no signs o' aging. If it was a Wraith, it wasn't very hungry."

"That's new."

"You think it was those creatures that attacked your team?" Elizabeth asked, turning to the colonel.

He shrugged. "Could be. But they sure didn't look like any Wraith I've ever seen."

"There's more. I discovered this while I was cleanin' him up." He carefully pulled the major's jaw open and eased a couple of fingers in like a dentist. He pressed on a tiny hole in the gums by his lower back teeth. A very sharp tooth protruded from the hole. A fang.

The colonel stared. An image flashed in his mind. A mouth filled with razor sharp teeth. He winced, touching his forehead.

"You okay?" Elizabeth asked, her eyes wide with concern.

Sheppard groaned. "Would everyone please stop asking me that? I'm fine!"

"Are you sure?"

"I said I'm fine!" he snapped, glaring angrily at his boss. Both Elizabeth and Carson stared at him, taken back. He quickly blinked it away. "Sorry."

Elizabeth's professional demeanor weakened as fear crept into her eyes, but she shook it off, choosing not to say anything just yet. This was neither the time nor the place.

"What did they do to him?"

"I still need ta run some tests," Carson answered. "But I think his DNA's been altered somehow."

* * *

Once they'd finished with the doctor and they were out in the hallway, Elizabeth turned to John, a deep crease in her brow.

"What the heck was that?" she demanded, clearly upset by his recent outburst.

Sheppard rubbed his face. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth. I don't—I don't know what came over me."

Elizabeth arched an eyebrow. "Well, just watch yourself, colonel. I'm still in charge here."

The colonel straightened, standing at attention. "Yes, ma'am." Then marched down the hallway.

Elizabeth looked on with amusement as her friend disappeared into the next corridor. She touched her earpiece, hearing someone calling for her.

* * *

Col. Sheppard popped into his quarters for a change of clothes and quickly headed toward the dojo where Teyla was waiting to begin their daily sparring session. His mind wandered as he walked, recalling what had happened earlier that day. He really didn't know why he'd suddenly lashed out at his friends. It was strange. The anger was there one second then it was gone the next.

When he got to his destination, Teyla was already working on her moves, sparring with an invisible partner. She turned, hearing him enter, and smiled.

"You are late."

"No, I'm not," the colonel said, putting his bag down and pulling out his set of tonfa sticks.

He stood a few feet in front of her and got into his fighting stance. She did the same, twirling the sticks in her hands. They circled each other. Eyes intense. Focused. Calculating. Watching each other's moves. Teyla had trained the colonel well. He moved to attack. She expertly countered, knocking him to the floor.

"Yes, you are."

Sheppard rolled his eyes at her as she moved aside to let him stand. He dusted himself off and resumed his stance. She eyed him carefully. They began their dance again. This time Teyla initiated the attack, but at the last moment she stumbled. He disarmed her easily. Her sticks clattered to the ground.

"Hey, what was that?" John said, wiping the back of his hand across his forehead. "You getting slow on me?"

When she didn't answer right away, he looked up to see what was going on. She was breathing hard, beads of sweat dotting her face.

She blinked, trying to focus, but the floor was reeling. She staggered, her stomach churning, and put a hand against the wall to steady herself.

"Teyla?" Sheppard went up to her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "You okay?"

His eyes widened when she turned to face him. She was fighting to keep her eyes open and her face was pale. He touched her cheek and felt heat radiating from her skin.

"You're burning up!" he told her, ushering her out of the room. "We need to get you to the infirmary."

Although she wanted to, Teyla was too weak to protest.

* * *

"Hello, Rodney. You wanted to see me?" Elizabeth greeted, walking into his lab. She noticed him rub his forehead. "You okay?"

"Huh…Oh, yeah, it's nothing. Just a bit of a headache." He turned the computer screen to face her. "Take a look at this. The long range sensors picked up."

Elizabeth stared at the screen, not really sure what he was trying to show her.

"And what am I looking at exactly?"

"It's…uh…it's a Wraith…" Rodney was turning back to access something on the computer when a sickly feeling suddenly washed over him. His head began to spin. He hunched over the table, his head in his hands.

Elizabeth looked up to find him that way and immediately knew something was wrong.

"Rodney?" Elizabeth said, her voice laced with concern. "Rodney, what's the matter?"

Radek chose that moment to come into the lab. He immediately went to see what was going on. Elizabeth reached out to touch Rodney's shoulder and noticed that his hands were trembling.

"Rodney?"

"Leave me alone!" he snapped, glaring up at her.

Their eyes widened when they saw his face. His eyelids were drooping and his skin was white as a sheet. Elizabeth instinctively touched his forehead. He was warm. Too warm.

"Rodney, you've got a fever!" she said as he slapped her hand away, scratching up her wrist as he did. She pulled her hand to her chest, but didn't seem to care about it at the moment. "You're sick. You need to go see Carson."

"No, it's okay. I—I'm fine."

Radek shook his head. They both knew how stubborn Rodney could be. "Rodney, you look like you're about to collapse. Listen to Elizabeth. Go to the infirmary."

"No, I…" the rest of his protest became an incoherent mumble as he stumbled out of his seat like a drunk person.

Radek caught him before he hit the ground. Elizabeth tapped her earpiece. "Medical team to Dr. McKay's lab, now!"

Hurried footsteps echoed in the corridor moments later. Elizabeth glanced over at Radek as they loaded Rodney onto a gurney. "You have things under control here?"

The Czech scientist nodded. "Yes, Dr. Weir."

* * *

As Carson helped his latest patient into a bed, his worried eyes lingered on Rodney a moment. The minute he'd laid down, his eyes closed wearily and his head sagged to one side. Sheppard had brought Teyla by just before he'd arrived. She had been exhibiting the same symptoms, but seemed to be fighting it off better than the scientist was. He gave her something to bring the fever down and instructed her to get some rest.

The colonel didn't look too good either. And neither did Ronon. They were both trying very hard to hide their illness, but Carson's keen doctor's eye could see right through their facade. He never should have let them out of his sight. They were sick. Really sick.

_What really happened to them on that planet?_

* * *

**I know it was a bit boring. But now the fun's about to start! Mwahaha!**


	9. Hunger

**Okay, I know I said this story would be done by Halloween, I lied. Well, not really. I just got a bit sidetracked preparing for the festivities. You know, with the costumes and trick or treating. I haven't been near my computer for a while. Anyway, I'm back and I know it's way past Halloween, but I'm going to continue…if you want me to.**

**While you're thinking about that, here's another chapter for ur reading pleasure. Warning: This one's kinda scary, so beware! Thanx 2 these ppl 4 reviewing…**

janib

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WingedPegasus—Thanx for the intel!

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**You keep this story alive…Enjoy!

* * *

**

_Blood._

_There was blood everywhere. _

_A lifeless body lay at his side. Major Lorne. _

_His fingers felt sticky. He looked down. His hands were covered in blood._

_Lorne's blood._

_Echoing screams came from every direction._

_Dark eyes stared at him._

_Eyes black as night._

_They blinked…then vanished._

_A voice stood out above the screams. A voice disembodied and sinister._

_"The time has come to reveal ourselves and instill fear with the ecstasy of our reign. Night has fallen and sweet darkness calls to you, my lost brothers. Show these pests the power they must face. Arise and be counted. Arise and cast my will…"_

* * *

Though separated by several floors and corridors, all four teammates awoke with a start almost at the same time. 

Col. Sheppard sat up, breathing hard, beads of sweat dotting his face. He'd had one heck of a nightmare. They all had.

* * *

After calming herself, Teyla glanced around at her surroundings. She was in her bed, in her quarters. How did I get here? The kind face of one of her teammates flashed in her mind. A smile pulled at the corner of her lips. "John…"

* * *

_Elizabeth must've called Carson._ Rodney thought, only now realizing that he was no longer in his lab. He had awoken to the sterile, plain walls of the infirmary. _How long was I out?_ He glanced down at his watch. 

3:07 AM.

* * *

Ronon huffed, turning onto his side, and tried to go back to sleep. But sleep would not come. He stared up at the dark ceiling, the haunting images playing back in his mind. 

He took a deep breath, running his hands over his face. Try as he might, nothing could wash away the images.

* * *

Sheppard wrestled off the sheets and slid to the floor. He pulled on a pair of pants and a dark t-shirt. He grabbed his sidearm off the nightstand out of habit and shoved the cold steel barrel down the back of his pants and covered it with his shirt. He padded into the hallway. 

The city was pretty quiet at this time of night what with most of its occupants asleep in their quarters. Those working the graveyard shift and those who rarely slept were the only ones still milling about.

He headed toward the mess hall, no longer feeling sleepy. He got himself a cup of coffee and sat at a table, sipping contentedly at the warm drink.

* * *

Teyla got out of bed and headed straight for the bathroom to clean herself up. She was still in her workout clothes and felt dirty. She washed her face and brushed her teeth then moved back into the bedroom to change. 

She had yanked off her dirty clothes and pulled out a fresh top and pants from a drawer—then put on the dirty pants with the clean shirt. She took off the shirt. No, it was the clean one. She put it back on and tried to take off the pants—she forgot she'd put on her shoes.

_What is wrong with me?_ She thought as she unlaced them and pulled them off. Why was she having so much trouble with this?

She looked around. Now, where were the clean pants? She'd thrown them into the pile of dirty clothes. She fished them out and put them on. Now if she could just find—

Teyla suddenly doubled over in pain. She wrapped her arms around her stomach, her eyes shut tight. She'd never felt pain this intense in her life.

* * *

"Aarrggh!" Sheppard hissed, dropping his coffee mug. 

He was suddenly struck by a burning, hollow throbbing in his insides that would have buckled his knees had he not already been sitting. He felt his stomach reject the coffee he had been drinking and it all came back out. He clutched his stomach as a dark veil clouded his eyesight.

The pain was unbearable.

No, not pain.

Hunger.

* * *

The hunger hit Rodney like a physical thing, pushing nearly every rational thought from his head. He nearly fell off the bed. He got to his feet, staggered, screaming in agony, in search of help. It wasn't like when he'd been hungry before. It was a feeling of extreme dehydration, and ravenous hunger, an aching, burning lust for nourishment. 

It consumed his body, bringing him to his knees in the middle of the infirmary.

"Make it stop…" he cried. "Please, make it stop!"

The doctor and several nurses heard his screams and came running. They surrounded him trying to help him, but he was flailing his arms around madly, keeping them at bay. One nurse got too close. Before anyone knew what had happened, her body flew across the room and she landed in a crumpled heap against the opposite wall.

Rodney gazed at her. And then…at that moment, he felt the edge of a powerful alien mind brushing against his own. Its instincts, its DNA memories. His pulse quickened. He didn't like the strange feeling that went through his body when he sensed the fear of those around him.

_What's happening to me??

* * *

_

Ronon stumbled from his bed, legs wobbly, face contorted with pain. He braced himself against the dresser.

He steadied himself and gazed up into the mirror expecting to see his own ragged reflection. But what he saw instead chilled him to the bone. Eyes that were not his own stared back at him coldly.

He punched the mirror in rage, his hand going through it and also the wall behind it with equal ease. Shards of glass cut his wrist. He watched with detached wonder as his skin healed itself around the glass, slowly ejecting it from his epidermis as he healed.

And now he felt the full force of the mind that was overriding his own. It was unafraid. And more than that, it was angry.

* * *

Teyla opened her eyes and the world looked different. She saw heat patterns. Granted, there weren't many, not in a city filled with only a few hundred people, but she could see them. Humans. In the distance were warm, living, breathing humans. Their life-force could stop this pain. 

She felt a surge of strength. Power. She could sense the intelligence and instincts of the thing she was becoming. And to her now acute ears came the faintest sound of a human voice screaming.

Her legs suddenly took flight from under her. Just thinking about using her newfound abilities made them so, it seemed.

* * *

Sheppard looked up at the figure towering over him. The Czech scientist had been walking by and had heard his cries. His pulse pounded in his ears. 

"H—help me…" he pleaded as another wave of pain hit him. He felt his internal organs begin to shift and rearrange.

Just then, as terrified as he was, he smelled something that set off a signal in his brain. He heard an awful growling, grinding sound coming from inside his own head. His teeth itched as they were replaced by long, sharp ones. His lifted his head. He stared up at Radek with hungry, glittering eyes.

The man backed away, horrified, swearing loudly in his native language. He tapped his earpiece as he turned and dashed out of the room.

The colonel ran after him, and he ran fast. With amazing speed and incredible endurance.

Now he knew why the Lilethans had bothered to capture them only to let them escape. The chase was invigorating. Terror thickened the life-force energy, and somehow this scent was so much more appealing than that which he smelled so far. The scent was overwhelming to him.

* * *

Elizabeth sat at her desk, trying to do paperwork, but her mind was racing. Not to mention her bandaged hand was starting to get in the way. Her thoughts kept going back to Sheppard and his team. Something happened to them on that planet. Something terrible. She never should've sanctioned that mission. 

She was suddenly pulled out of her thoughts by a commotion out in the control room. She heard shouting and the unmistakable sound of gunfire. She immediately dropped what she was doing and ran out the door to see what was going on.

The first thing she saw was most of the control room staff huddled in a corner, terrified. Some injured. Chuck, the gate technician was lying on the ground, blood oozing from a wound in his chest. A team of security officers was shooting at someone, trying to prevent him from accessing the gate.

He pushed past them, knocking them aside like rag dolls. He bellowed in pain from his wounds, but he struck again and again. Still standing defiant, he struck the man blocking his path. He turned on him and swung his left fist up in a vicious uppercut. It connected with his jaw. He went down.

Elizabeth's eyes widened when she recognized who the intruder was.

"Rodney?"

The man froze, his hand poised over the sixth chevron in the address he was attempting to dial.

"What's going on?" she demanded. She cautiously began to approach him.

"No, don't!" someone cried out in alarm.

"What…" Her voice trailed off when the scientist turned to face her. What she saw froze her to the spot.His face, which had never been exactly soft or inviting, had become forbidding and intense. His blue eyes had become yellow with slits for pupils and glared with the fierce glare of a Wraith. But he was not Wraith and not human either, but some weird halfway mix.

Before anyone could do anything, he attacked.

With a furious snarl, he jumped at Elizabeth. He raised his hand, his new claws ready to tear into her. She saw the slit across his palm and braced herself for what she knew was coming.

But nothing happened.

He hesitated. He stared at her intently, his hand poised over her chest. She stared back, breath caught in her throat, unsure of what to think. He blinked. And for a moment, she could have sworn she saw a hint of recognition cross his face. Then his gaze hardened once again.

No one saw the figure stealthily approaching from behind. Rodney grunted, feeling a strange sensation suddenly course through his body. He stared at Elizabeth, confused. She met his gaze. And now she could see human terror shining through those alien eyes.

Then his eyes suddenly rolled back into his head and he collapsed at her feet. She breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at her rescuer. Dr. Beckett was standing there, a dripping needle in his hand.

"Carson, what's the heck is going on?"

"No time ta explain, Elizabeth. The city's in grave danger. We've got ta find Col. Sheppard and the rest o' them. I'm afraid they may be in the same condition Rodney's in. And yeh can bet they're mighty hungry."

Elizabeth's mind was spinning. Sheppard's entire team was compromised. All four of them were turning into these things. These creatures. Creatures that could be related to the Wraith. That shared the same taste for human life force. And they were loose somewhere in the city.

* * *

**So, whaddaya think? You want more? **


End file.
